EA ref.

refers to a diary entry where this word or phrase occurs (not neccessarily the first or only reference)

SH p.#

refers to a page with additional information from the book "An Illustrated History of Skagit and Snohomish Counties; their people, their commerce and their resources, with an outline of the early history of the state of Washington", Interstate Publishing Company (1906)

&c

an old abbreviation for etc.

A.G.T.

refers to Alvinza Gardner Tillinghast (1844-1914)

Acme harrow

Also known as blade harrow; curved knife-tooth harrow; pulverizer. The front part of the knife breaks the soil and crushes the clods . This harrow obtains a good pulverization. It is good for creating soil mulch.

ague

malaria or some other illness involving fever and shivering.

Alf Stacey

refers to Alfred J Stacey, Ida's brother-in-law.

Allen

refers to G.W.L. Allen (George Washington Lafayette). He was sheriff of Whatcom County and neighbor of E.A. Here's an interesting link to G.W.L. Allen.

Alvinza

refers to Alvinza Gardner Tillinghast (1844-1914)

Aunt Eliza

refers to Elisabeth "Eliza" Capwell (1804-1887). E.A.'s aunt.

Aunt Lou

M. Louisa Baker (1834-1897), R.E. Whitney's sister

B McGinnis

refers to Barclay McGinnis Ida's cousin that lived in Seattle. His mother (Mary Campbell) and Ida's mother (Eliza) were sisters. He is John McGinnis's brother.

Babbiting

lining a surface or bearing with Babbitt metal. Babbitt metal, also spelled Babbit Metal, any of several tin- or lead-based alloys used as bearing material for axles and crankshafts, based on the tin alloy invented in 1839 by Isaac Babbitt for use in steam engines.

batten

a small strip of wood about 2 or 3 inches wide that would be nailed over the crack or seam of two boards to make it weather tight.

batter

a gradual backward slope in a wall or similar structure.

bent

This is the combination of the cap and the pile. Together, with other bents, act as supports for the entire bridge. Girders - Girders are like the arms of the bridge. They extend from bent to bent and support the bridge decking. They also help disperse pressure to the bents.

Blanche (Clark) White

refers to Blanche (Clark) White(1863-1944) is Ida's niece and is married to Frank White (1864-1953).

bluestone

copper sulfate used to prevent smut on wheat.

boot jack

A boot jack, sometimes known as a boot pull, is a small tool that aids in the removal of boots. It consists of a U-shaped mouth that grips the heel of the boot, and a flat area to which weight can be applied with the opposite foot.

buddy

means the unpleasant flavor characteristic of syrup made from sap collected from maple trees as they come out of dormancy.

C.C.

Chamber of Commerce

cant hooks

A cant hook or pike or a hooked pike is a traditional logging tool consisting of a wooden lever handle with a movable metal hook called a dog at one end, used for handling and turning logs and cants, especially in sawmills.

chaff

the husks of corn or other seed separated by winnowing or threshing.

chattel mortgage

is the legal term for a type of loan contract used in some states with legal systems derived from English law. Under a typical chattel mortgage, the purchaser borrows funds for the purchase of movable personal property from the lender.

cocking hay

To arrange (straw or hay) into piles shaped like cones

cradle

an implement with rods like fingers attached to a scythe and used for harvesting grain. E.g. "S. cut oats with cradle and went to Ball's to change cradles."

crout

alternative spelling for sauerkraut.

donation

another word for fundraiser.

donkey engine

a steam-powered winch once widely used in logging, mining, maritime, and other industrial applications.

drew

pull or drag so as to make it follow behind

Ed Crumrine

neighbor of E.A.

Ed Stacey

refers to Ed Stacey (1861-1957). He is Ida's nephew.

Eva Reed

(1864-1939) R.E. Whitney's niece (M. Louisa Baker's daughter)

fallow

(of farmland) plowed and harrowed but left unsown for a period in order to restore its fertility as part of a crop rotation or to avoid surplus production.

fanning oats

get rid of chaff, straw, small stones, dirt, weed seeds, and light immature seeds from the oats or wheat seed you wished to plant. In short, the process separates the wheat from the chaff.

Father

refers to A. C. Sisson (1826-1896), father of E.A.

flume

a man-made channel for water, in the form of an open declined gravity chute whose walls are raised above the surrounding terrain, in contrast to a trench or ditch. Flumes lead water from a diversion dam or weir to their desired location.

Flying Dutchman

Three wheel plow

Frank White

(pp 641-642)

Fred or Fred K

refers Fred Kalso, neighbor of E.A.

frow

a cleaving tool for splitting cask staves and shingles from the block

Fulk

David Fulk

Gaches

Charles Gaches, propietor of store in LaConner

Geo

refers to George Sisson (1854-1928), brother of E.A.

George McGinnis

Ida's cousin John McGinnis's son (Olive's brother)

Georgia Carter

Georgia Carter is the wife of Fred Carter who was the editor of the Puget Sound Mail.

Gilkie

refers to Mr. Franklin E Gilkie, friend and fellow Republican of E.A.

Grandma

Refers to Eliza Leamer (1818-1901), Ida Sisson's mother

Grant

refers to Grant Sisson (1885-1956), only son of E.A. and Ida

GT

Good Templars

Gus

refers to Rachel Augustus Whitney (1844-1877) (R E Whitney's first wife)

hewed

make or shape (something) by cutting or chopping a material such as wood

Highbarger

refers to Jacob Highbarger, EA neighbor.

hoop iron

flattened iron in long thin strips used for binding together the staves of casks or tubs.

John Ball

neighbor or E.A., brother of Richard Ball

John McGinnis

Ida's cousin that lived in Seattle. His mother (Mary Campbell) and Ida's mother (Eliza) were sisters.

John Wallace

Harvey Wallace's brother.

Kalso

neighbor of E.A. Could be either Fred or Otto.

lagging

material providing heat insulation for a boiler, pipes, etc.

Literary Society

Social group to dicuss books, etc.

Lodge

Refers to International Order of Good Templars which is a fraternal organization which is part of the temperance movement, promoting abstinence from alcohol and other drugs. E.A. was an officer in the Lodge.

lodged

is the bending over of the stems near ground level of grain crops, which makes them very difficult to harvest, and can dramatically reduce yield.

lyceum

a hall for public lectures or discussions.

mangelwurzel

mangold wurzel (from German Mangel/Mangold, "chard" and Wurzel, "root"), also called mangold, mangel beet, field beet, fodder beet and (archaic) root of scarcity, is a cultivated root vegetable.

mangol

mangold wurzel (from German Mangel/Mangold, "chard" and Wurzel, "root"), also called mangold, mangel beet, field beet, fodder beet and (archaic) root of scarcity, is a cultivated root vegetable.

McClellan

refers James McClellan. E.A. neighbor.

McGlinn

John McGlinn

molasses

another word for syrup.

mosquito bar

1870s term for mosquito netting.

Mr. Avery

lawyer colleague that R.E. Whitney met in Kansas and helped devlop plan to move west. (Reference Skagit History p. 622)

Mrs. Bradley

refers to Cassandra (Stearns) Bradley, Kate (Bradley) Whitney's sister-in-law, wife of R. Lee Bradley.

Mrs. Wallace

refers to Mary (Leamer) Wallace (1839-1920), Ida Sisson's sister. She was also married to Alfred Stacey, Sr.(1838-1865)

Nettie

refers to Nettie Wright (1880-1973), middle child of E.A. and Ida. Sometimes refers to E.A.'s sister Nettie Dean (1861-1901)

nix

nothing

oakum

is a preparation of tarred fibre used to seal gaps. Its main traditional applications were in shipbuilding, for caulking or packing the joints of timbers in wooden vessels and the deck planking of iron and steel ships.

Olive McGinnis

Ida's cousin John McGinnis's daughter (George's sister)

Pearl

refers to Pearl S Wilson (1877-1963), oldest daughter of E.A. and Ida.

pie plant

Rhubarb was first cultivated in China in pre-medieval times and eventually was traded along the famous Silk Road to Russia and most of Europe. From there, settlers brought it to the New World, tucked in among other roots and seeds destined for new homesteads. As the frontier expanded westward, pioneers dug up chunks of their plants roots, wrapped them in burlap sacking, and brought the plants with them. Back in those days, rhubarb was known as ”pie plant.” As sparse as foods were back in the 18th and 19th centuries, rhubarb was much valued and passed from one family member to another, one friend or neighbor to the next.

Polson

Alf Polson

portieres

a curtain hung over a door or doorway.

privy

a toilet located in a small shed outside a house or other building; an outhouse

puncheons

a short, upright piece of timber in framing; a short post; an intermediate stud.

punk

in poor or bad condition

Richard Ball

neighbor of E.A., brother of John Ball

rick

A rick of wood is a term that is used to describe a pile of firewood that measures 4 by 8 feet. The width of the rick will depend on where you buy it from. A face cord describes the width of a rick of firewood, which typically measures 12, 16, or 24 inches.

Rienzi Eugene Whitney

(1840-1891) E.A. Sisson's cousin (pp 621-623 Skagit History)

Rienzi or Rienz

refers to R. E. Whitney (1840-1891)

Robert Woodburn

Neighbor of E.A. Sisson, moved to Padilla in 1884 and worked for R.E. Whitney.

rod

unit of length of approximately 16 ft

Rudene

refers to John Rudene, E.A. neighbor

S

refers to Edgar Allen Sisson (1849-1933)

salsify

a root vegetable belonging to the dandelion family, salsify is also known as the oyster plant because of its similar taste when cooked.

scow

any of various vessels having a flat-bottomed rectangular hull with sloping ends, built in various sizes, and having an advantage for navigating shallow water or small harbours.

shingle horse

like a saw horse, the farmer would sit on the end of the shingle horse, adjusting the brace to set the angle of tapering on the wooden shingle being shaved down.

Siegfried

refers Lewis Seigfried. E.A. neighbor.

skeg

a sternward extension of the keel of boats and ships which have a rudder mounted on the centre line.

sleeper

a piece of timber laid on low cross walls as a plate to receive ground joists.

slough

a marshy or reedy pool, pond, inlet, backwater, or the like.

sluice box

An artificial channel for conducting water, with a valve or gate to regulate the flow. A valve or gate used in such a channel; a floodgate.

smut

a fungal disease of grains

SS

multiple references through diary, and refers to Singing School.

sun dog

The sun dog is a member of the family of halos caused by the refraction of sunlight by ice crystals in the atmosphere. Sun dogs typically appear as a pair of subtly colored patches of light, around 22° to the left and right of the Sun, and at the same altitude above the horizon as the Sun. They can be seen anywhere in the world during any season, but are not always obvious or bright. Sun dogs are best seen and most conspicuous when the Sun is near the horizon.

T

refers to Alvinza Gardner Tillinghast(1844-1914)

tedding

The function of lifting and separating hay in order to hasten dry down time

Trimble

refers to William H Trimble. E.A neighbor.

true bill

a bill of indictment found by a grand jury to be supported by sufficient evidence to justify the hearing of a case

tule shoes

a mat of woven reeds wired to a horse shoe. The oversized shoes were invented by Chinese laborers in 1850s California to help build levees and reclaim land in the Sacramento Delta.

Vinz

abbr for Alvinza

W

refers to R. E. Whitney (1840-1891)

weather cock

an instrument used for showing the direction of the wind.

well curb

a stone surround at the top of a well.

Whatcom

Town of Whatcom founded in 1852, was New Whatcom Consolidate 1891, name changed to Whatcom in 1901,

wheel

another name for bicycle.

whiffletree

are used in tension to distribute forces from a point load to the traces of draught animals (the traces are the chains or straps on each side of the harness, on which the animal pulls). For these, the whiffletree consists of a loose horizontal bar between the draught animal and its load. The centre of the bar is connected to the load, and the traces attach to its ends.

white house

house built by Whitney and Sisson during 1873. Referred to many times in the diary.

whortleberry

another name for huckleberry.

EDGAR A. SISSON

An illustrated history of Skagit and Snohomish Counties. 1906. Open Library 6973987M URL https://archive.org/details/illustratedhisto00inte| lccn = 06030900 | oclc = 11299996 |publisher = Interstate Publishing Company | publication-place = [Chicago] | author = Inter-state Publishing Company (Chicago, Ill.)

Proprietor of the Fairview farm near Padilla, is one of the pioneers of Skagit county who has done as much as any other man to develop the resources of his section of the state. He has been active in the life of the community since 1872, when he was one of the men who inaugurated the plan of reclaiming lands from the tide water. Mr. Sisson was born in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, in 1849, the son of Arnold C. Sisson, a native of Connecticut, and later a merchant and farmer of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Isabel (Green) Sisson, mother of our subject, was born in the Keystone state and is now living at Factoryville. She is the mother of three children. Edgar A. Sisson received his early education in the common schools, prepared for college in the academic department of the University of Lewisburg, now Bucknell University, and took a course in Cornell University at Ithaca, New York. For two years following his college course Mr, Sisson engaged in market gardening in company with his father. He then came West and in the fall of 1872 joined forces with A. G. Tillinghast and R. E. Whitney in the work of reclaiming and improving tide lands, diking in some five hundred acres, which were put under cultivation. But they did not realize crops of any great consequence until 1876, and in that year the three men dissolved partnership. Of this tract Mr. Sisson pre-empted forty-nine acres, Mr. Whitney one hundred and seventy-four and Mr. Tillinghast one hundred and seventy-one, the balance of the five hundred acres being purchased.

In 1876 Mr, Sisson married Miss Ida Leamer, daughter of David Leamer, a Pennsylvania farmer of Holland Dutch descent, who died in Jowa, where he had farmed a number of years previous to his death. Mrs. Eliza J. (Campbell) Leamer, mother of Mrs. Sisson, was born in Ireland of Scotch parentage in 1818 and died in the Sisson home in 1901 full of good works and beloved by all. Mrs. Leamer was a woman of exceptional culture and tenderest sympathies, and in the early days of the settlements in Skagit county performed many deeds of kindness and self-sacrifice for the less fortunate. She was ever ready to lend her assistance to the needy and often took her boat and crossed the waters to give succor to the distressed. Mrs. Sisson was born in Davenport, Iowa, in 1857, and obtained her early education in that state. On coming to the coast country she attended the Seattle high school and took a course in a convent at Salem, Oregon. She commenced teaching school when fifteen years of age, her first school being at Pleasant Ridge, in Skagit county. Later she became the first woman teacher in the La Conner schools. She also taught at the town of Stanwood, Snohomish county. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Sisson: Mrs. Pearl Wilson, who is living on the Samish flats, near Edison; Mrs. Nettie E. Wright. living in La Conner, and Grant C. Sisson, Mr. Sisson is a member of the Baptist church and in politics is an active Republican. The land at Fairview farm consists of one hundred and sixty acres, all of which is in a state of high cultivation. Mr. Sisson is not only one of the successful men of Skagit county, but also one of the most popular and most public-spirited of citizens. He and the members of his household have played a very important part in the work of developing the wooded and watered wilderness of Skagit county into a place of smiling farms and happy homes, which stand today as monuments to the courage, industry and thrift of the sturdy pioneers.

About

E. A. Sisson (1848-1933) was my great-grandfather. He was the father of my paternal grandmother Pearl Wilson (1877-1963). He kept a diary from January 1872 until then end of 1932. These diaries were microfilmed in 1973 by the University of Washington. The originals are in possession of Skagit County Historical Society in La Conner, WA. In the fall of 2021, my brother and I were able to get the microfilm digitized. There are a total of 1638 TIFF images comprising 30 GB of storage

This web page is the result of countless hours of transcribing the handwritten pages of the diary. There is an entry for most every day for the timespan. In addition to the daily entries there are miscellaneous other records that are part of this set of image. There will be no attempt to transcribe these records.

The calendar days have a background (either white or red) if the day has been transcribed. Red background indicates no entry for that date. If the calendar is connected to an image archive, the days are links to the image along with the transciption (i.e. annotation). If not connected then the highlighted days are informaton only. To get the transcription, click on the plus in the corner of the calendar and the textual transcription will be displayed below the calendar.